narrow-leaf chalksticks

species: Kleinia cylindrica

common name: narrow-leaf chalksticks

family: Asteraceae

where & when encountered: Ventura, CA - 2016?

These popular succulents are difficult to identify because sometimes they are placed in the Senecio genus and called Senecio vitalis; but since the Kleinia genus was created to distinguish succulents from the rest of the sunflower family, I am inclined to class them that way. Kleinia are also found in warmer climates such as the Canary Islands, Africa and the Middle East.

Chilean thornless mesquite

species: Prosopis chilensis

common name: Chilean thornless mesquite

family: Fabaceae

where & when encountered: Ventura, CA - 2018

The Prosopis genus is more familiarly known as mesquite, of which there are about 45 species. Most are found in Latin America, although a few are native to Africa and Asia. This one lives in the Ventura Botanical Gardens.

poinsettia

species: Euphorbia pulcherrima

common name: poinsettia

family: Euphorbiaceae

where & when encountered: Ventura, CA - 2018

Of course I've seen poinsettia plants my whole life, but it's rare to see them in their tree form. No one ever talks about it, but this very well known plant is named after Joel Roberts Poinsettia, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. At one time Ventura was the "poinsettia capital" where the plants were cultivated on a large scale.

Chilean wine palm

species: Jubaea chilensis

common name: Chilean wine palm

family: Arecaceae

where & when encountered: Ventura, CA - 2016

The second largest species of palm by mass, the Chilean wine palm is distinguished by its hefty trunk. Within that trunk is a sugar-rich sap which is used to make wine. This specimen got scorched by the Thomas Fire, but otherwise seems to be surviving at the Ventura Botanical Gardens.

jade "Gollum"

species: Crassula ovata, "Monstruosa" cultivar

common name: jade, "Gollum" cultivar

family: Crassulaceae

where & when encountered: King City, CA - 2010

This succulent house plant is as intriguing to look at as it is hard to identify. It seems incredible that these tubular green leaves resembling string beans are a cultivar of the familiar jade plant, but they are. One problem is that are sometimes called "baby toes", thereby getting confused with Fenestraria succulents, which actually look more like a baby's toes than these tubular string beans.

Kalanchoe

species: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

common name: Christmas kalanchoe

family: Crassulaceae

where & when encountered: Old Westbury, NY - 2010?

Kalanchoe is an interesting genus of succulents native mainly to Madagascar with over a hundred species. The one known as "Christmas" or "florist" Kalanchoe is a very popular houseplant - my mother had one, which is how I got introduced. What I did not know until recently is that Kalanchoe was one of the first plants to be grown in space.